Month: January 2017

A healthy lifestyle hinges on daily habits. It is about making the right choices every day and doing the things that may not always be fun to do. It is about the small things like exercising regardless of how you feel about doing it at any given day. If you are thinking of making some positive changes in your routines to improve your health, here are some ways to build better habits that could lead to some lifelong benefits.

Fix or upgrade your diet. Eating healthy is one of the pillars of healthy living. You need to proactively develop your understanding of proper nutrition and make healthy food choices. Eat more fruits, vegetables, and fiber-rich grains. Know your sources of good fats. Avoid refined sugar, saturated fat, and other high-calorie but low-nutrition foods in your diet.

Create a fitness routine and stick to it. One of the most effective strategies for living a healthy life is to engage in regular exercise and physical activity. Moderate or intense exercise for at least 30 minutes every day improves your mood, boosts your energy levels, and keeps you fit and healthy.

Choose your drinks well. Given a choice between a soda and water, choose the latter s often as you can. Or if you prefer to drink something that has a little flavor in it, choose the least sugary beverages you can find. Go for natural fruit or vegetable juices. Or you can get creative by preparing infused water using a wide array of fresh fruits.

Give your mind and body time to rest. A lot of people are missing out on a good sleep for various reasons. Many are so busy to squeeze in six to eight hours of sleep. Personal, work, and social life may sometimes eat up time that should have been spent on sleep. Poor quality or lack of time for sleep not only contributes to lack of energy, fatigue, and irritability, it can also lead to health-related problems, if left unchecked.

Make time for stress-relieving activities. Excessive stress takes its toll. It may take time for the effects to show, but it will eventually appear in many different ways. Dealing with the early signs of stress is important in protecting your wellbeing. It is important that you take the time each day to relax and unwind. Make use of various relaxation techniques to lower your stress levels and recharge.

Running is one of the most popular sports or physical activities that are fairly easy to get into. There is no complicated or highly technical skill you have to learn at the beginning. There is no gym membership required. All you need is weather appropriate running clothes and a good pair of socks and shoes and you can basically start anytime you want to. If you are looking for some inspirations to get into running, here are some of the best books you should have on your reading list.

Eat & Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness by Scott Jurek
One of the hardest parts about taking up any sport or physical activity is getting started. There are a lot of possible excuses that could come up, especially for those who may think that their self-perceived lack of athleticism could be a barrier. In Eat & Run, ultrarunning champion Scott Jurek shares personal stories on the challenges and the lifestyle changes that have become part of his journey as a runner.

Running and Being: The Total Experience by George A. Sheehan
Running and being provides timeless insights not just on running but on lifelong fitness and the happiness and freedom that can be gained from the experience.

Running with the Buffaloes by Chris Lear
Running with Buffaloes takes a look into competitive running. But it casts a wide appeal and provides compelling tales that even recreational runners will enjoy. It depicts the highs and lows as well as the many challenges collegiate or competitive runners face.